Woven stretch pants with longer wear inner thigh assembly

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a lower outer garment, such as a pair of pants comprised of a woven material that includes a stretch fiber and which has an interior assembly that having four panels of fusible material that are adhered to the interior of the pant at the crotch and extending into the inner thigh and which is sewn into the center rise, back rise and left and right inseams.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to outer wear for the lower body, and more particularly, to pants, including jeans, trousers and leggings which are made from a woven fabric including fibers that permit stretch and in which the pants include an interior inner thigh assembly which provides greater durability and longer wear for the garment. The invention can be constructed in a stretch knit fabric or in twill or denim style lower garment, such as jeans, pants, trousers, or leggings.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Material advances of the last century have allowed fashion to move toward garments that both shape and move with the wearer. In particular, this has included the drive toward women's lower outerwear that reveals and accentuates the feminine figure. For the last fifty years the dominant western outer wear garment has been blue jeans, or pants which are constructed from denim or twill. We all tend to live in our favorite pair of jeans, and they became associated with the best of experiences and the memories formed in them. It's hard to part with them, and particularly for a plus sized wearer who has to, or is willing to, pay more for a well-fit pair of pants.

With material advances and the adoption of fitted stretch active wear, many wearers have come to prefer the comfort of pants which include stretch fibers to yield a four-way stretch and so as to retain their shape. However, the introduction of such fibers can result in durability issues, in particular, in instances where the fabric is under stress. Most women have thighs that are fuller where they join their bodies, and in the case for a plus size population, this can cause considerable stress in the pant leg material at the upper inner thigh (i.e., on the medial portion of the pants legs extending downward from the crotch from ⅕ to ⅓ of the way down the inseam toward the pant leg hem.) This stress is the result of the hoop stress or circumferential stress to which the pant leg is subjected for two separate reasons. The first is the stress of movement that occurs for every population when the pant wearer moves and the pant fabric reacts to the forces that the body applies to the material. This stress is accentuated for material having multiple fiber composition since some fibers will move differently or react differently to tension than others of the fibers. Stretch fibers are particularly at risk to snap or fray in this situation. Particularly in a plus size population, there is an additional source of stress to the upper inner pant leg, and that is that the volume of flesh sometimes is sufficiently abundant to cause the fabric to be stressed just to accommodate the wearer's leg. In this case, when the wearer moves, the pant fabric is already stretched to capacity and now is subjected to the forces caused by the movement of the wearer's body. This leads to a limited wear life as the fibers shear, snap or fray.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an inner thigh assembly for an outer garment for the lower body, including for example, pants, slacks, jeans, trousers, leggings. The garment may advantageously extend down the leg to the mid-thigh, knee, mid-calf or ankle, although it should be understood that inventive features may be incorporated into garments having differing configurations. The inner thigh assembly includes the exterior fabric and interior panels that are fused and seamed within the lower outer garment to inhibit fiber movement and hold the fibers in the woven alignment during wear.

In particular, the assembly has multiple layers which occur on the underside of the thigh, and from the crotch to an area above the knee. Notably, the assembly fills the area on the inner side of the pants leg where the thighs meet when the legs are gently held together. The assembly comprises four panels of fusible fabric that has each has a short straight side at a right angle to a long straight side, and opposing the long straight side, a long and gentle rounded external surface that curves into a shorter and greater curved rounded area that opposes the short straight side. When two panels are viewed together on each side of the center rise seams, the joined shaped is like a truncated lanceolet or ovate shape, each quarter panel being a modified right triangle with a convexly curving hypotenuse edge. It is preferable that this edge curve in order to avoid sharp edges that could foster delamination over time as a result of washing or wear. The shape of the fusible fabric is important to help maintain the assembly during washing. The fabric of the panels is preferably a stretch non-woven fabric, which has a soft or felted feel on the exposed surface. The assembly also includes a perimeter adhesive tape which is a stretch heat activated adhesive that underlies the fusible panel assembly at the periphery.

The outer garment broadly termed “pants” herein, is preferably a fitted lower garment intended to be an external garment, and so having an appearance that is sufficiently formal and modest to be worn out and in public (i.e. that does not appear to be a pajama bottom, girdle, or stocking).

The invention is illustrated for a denim style lower garment, often referred to as “blue jeans”, where the color blue is traditional, but not necessary. It should be understood, however, that the invention could also be extended for use in a twill pant or trouser, which may be constructed in a fabric having a greater degree of drape or softer “hand”. Style choices for these garments may include the blue jean traditional pocket in patch pocket styling or in other versions, front slit or side slit tab or welt pockets, accentuated lapped seams, rounded tab outer stitched or concealed front zipper openings on the center rise, and optional back, and exterior back yoke and/or dart members. In general, the garments may also feature a stretch waist band with self-top layer and an elastic inner layer to allow a transition at the waist that inhibits rolling and optional belt keeps. In addition, they may include pocket details in the back and front, which may be purely decorative or functional, depending, for example, on the desired profile and function.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an exterior view of the front of the lower garment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows an exterior view of the back of the lower garment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a view of the interior of the lower garment taken from the right side of the pant leg looking toward the inseam and center rise seams;

FIG. 4 shows an inside out view of the interior of the garment of FIG. 1 looking toward the crotch at the intersection of the center rise seams and the inseams;

FIG. 5 shows a detail of the waist band construction of a suitable waistband for use with the present invention; and

FIG. 6 shows a view of the invention as shown in FIG. 4 which shows appearance after care in accordance with CPSD-SL-31055-MTHD.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to lower outerwear, such as pants, jeans, trousers or leggings, and referred to herein generally as “pants”. In particular, the invention is useful with pants which are constructed from a woven fabric, such as a denim or twill, and in particular, a woven fabric which includes a stretch fiber, including, but not limited to lycra or spandex. The stretch fiber can be used singly in the warp or woof (aka “weft”), or can be used in both for a two way stretch fabric. A particularly advantageous fabric is identified as LT-1328, which is 53% Cotton, 36% Lyocell, 9% polyester, and 2% Spandex. Fabrics having similar percentages of these components ⅕-½ by weight can be substituted for this specific fabric. Further, it may be desirable to wash the material to achieve a faded look, which increases the possibility for early failure at the inner thigh.

It is particularly advantageous for the present invention to be used in pants known as “jeans”, “chinos” or “khakis”, and having a style in which the pant front below the waistband is not pleated, but which is a straight front style, having leg portions which are fitted at the upper thigh of the wearer. FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrates a typical style 100 for such pants, having a button close waistband 102 including belt keepers 104, a front fly closure 106 along the center rise seam 108 and front pockets 110, which includes a right front change pocket 112. The pants include a front right portion 114 which has an integral abdominal area 116 and a lower area that forms the front of the leg portion 118. Similarly, the pants have a left front portion 120 which has an integral abdominal area 122 and a lower area that forms the front of the leg portion 124. The pants include a right side seam 126 and a left side seam 128, which are typically lapped and over sewn with top stitching (as are the rise seams). In the back, the pants include a left yoke 134 and a right yoke 136 which join the waistband 102 and the left back portion 138 and the right back portion 140. The left back portion 138 has an upper glut area 142 and a lower leg area 144, while the right back portion 140 has an upper glut area 146 and a lower leg area 148. The left pant leg portion includes a lower hem 150 and the right pant portion includes a lower hem 152.

FIG. 3 illustrates the interior of the pants of the present invention taken from the right looking to the interior of the crotch area. The view from the left is the mirror image of this view. The pants include a back rise seam 154 and a front rise seam 108 which meet at the intersection of the right inseam 130 and the left inseam 132. The invention includes an assembly 200 of interior components which include four panels of fusible material. In particular, there is a front right panel 202 and a right rear panel 204 each of which are roughly triangular in outline and which together form a blade shape that extends lengthwise in a fairly straight side along the inner thigh portion parallel to the inseam and which curves to a rounded edge where the panels terminates at the inseam. The front panel 203 is cut to curve upward in the shape of the inner front rise 108, and as the crotch 201 extends straight back to a more gradually sloped back rise 154, the top edge of the back right panel 202 is straight while the inside edge is also straight and perpendicular to the top edge.

As is shown in FIG. 3, the width of the front panel extends roughly 1/20 to ⅛ (+/−15-25%), of the length of the entire rise, that is, the length of the front, center, and back rise taken together. The back panel is a similar width and proportion in relation to the rise length, although it can be slightly narrower, for example, by ¼-1 inch. The panels each extend in length from 3 to 9 inches, and more preferably from 4 to 8 inches down the inseam. Each panel separately is from 2 to 5 times as long as it is wide, where the width of each panel is from 1.5 to 4 inches, and more preferably from 1.75 to 3 inches in width.

The left back panel 204 and front panel 205 mirror the right panels in construction. The panels comprise an adhesive and a fabric layer, which is preferably a non-woven stretch fabric and heat activated stretch adhesive. It is preferably that the invention further includes a stretch edge tape 206 which is intermediate the panels and the exterior fabric. A suitable tape is from ¼ to 1 inch in width, and preferably ½ inch+/−25%. The panels and tape are adhered to the pant pieces prior to the seaming of the center rise and inseams. The panels include a rounded lower edge which advantageously forms a portion of a circle that has a radius of 0.3 to 2.5 inches+/−25%.

FIG. 4 shows the assembly 200 from the interior view of a pair of pants, i.e. inside out looking at the crotch straight on to see a front right panel and show that the panels are adhered to the interior inner thigh of the pants legs and crotch, and also are sewn into the center rise and inseams of the pants.

FIG. 5 illustrates a waistband construction that is suitable for use in the pant of the invention. The waistband has an external self-facing 302, with a stretch or non-stretch interlining 304 which preferably includes an adhesive on the exterior facing side, and sewn to that is an interior facing waistband 308, which preferably is also a stretch fabric. This is sewn in seam 310.

FIG. 6 shows the interior view of a pair of pants including the assembly 200 after testing as described below. The pants were subjected to industry test CPSD-SL-31055-MTHD, with Tide detergent, subjective determination, 3 washes and 3 dry per cycle in a normal wash cycle at 27° Celsius in a 4 pound load and with tumble dry. The color change showed a slight change (⅘), the pilling on the outside of the pant was slight (4.5/5), there was no or satisfactory seam puckering, no observed defects and the pants were safe to iron with a warm iron. Following this testing the test pants were subjected to an additional 22 wash cycles in which no-delamination occurred, with secure edges, only slight piling or unevenness in the pants. These are the pants shown in FIG. 6. Other samples were subjected to abrasion and wear testing with satisfactory results or better. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A stretch denim pant having an interior and an exterior and comprising a torso portion joined by a front rise seam and a back rise seam on the right side to a right leg portion having a right inseam and on the left side to a left leg portion having an left inseam and forming a crotch member at the intersection of the back rise seam, the front rise seam and the right inseam and the left inseam, and the pant including a durability assembly on the interior of the pant which comprises a right front panel and a right back panel and a left front panel and a right back panel wherein the right front panel and the right back panel are fused to the interior of the right leg portion and sewn into the right inseam and the left front panel and the left back panel are fused to the interior of the left leg portion and sewn into the left inseam.
 2. A stretch denim pant as set forth in claim 1, wherein the right front panel and the left front panel are sewn into the front rise seam.
 3. A stretch denim pant as set forth in claim 1, wherein the right back panel and the left back panel are sewn into the back rise seam.
 4. A stretch denim pant as set forth in claim 1, wherein the right front panel and the right back panel and the left front panel and the left back panel comprise a non-woven fusible material.
 5. A stretch denim pant as set forth in claim 1, wherein the assembly has an outline with an edge and further comprises an adhesive tape along the edge between the stretch denim and the fusible assembly.
 6. A stretch denim pant as set forth in claim 5, wherein the front right panel and the right rear panel each have roughly triangular outline and which together form a blade shape that extends lengthwise in a fairly straight side along the right inner thigh portion parallel to the inseam and which curves to a rounded edge where the right panels terminates at the inseam, and the front left panel and the left rear panel each have roughly triangular outline and which together form a blade shape that extends lengthwise in a fairly straight side along the left inner thigh portion parallel to the inseam and which curves to a rounded edge where the left panels terminates at the inseam.
 7. A stretch denim pant as set forth in claim 6, wherein each of the right front panel and the left front panel curve upward in the shape of the front rise and the back right and the back left panel each has a top edge is straight and an inside edge which is also straight and perpendicular to the top edge.
 8. A stretch denim pant as set forth in claim 7, wherein each of the front right panel and the front left panel has a width that extends 1/20 to ⅛ of the length of the front rise seam, the center rise seam, and back rise seam added together.
 9. A stretch denim pant as set forth in claim 8, wherein each of the front right panel, the front left panel, the back right panel and the back left panel has a length and a width and the length is 2 to 5 times as long as the width.
 10. A stretch denim pant as set forth in claim 9, further comprising a stretch edge tape having a width of ¼ to 1 inch in width which is intermediate the durability assembly and the torso portion and the right leg portion and the left leg portion and adhered prior to the seaming of the center rise and inseams.
 11. A stretch denim pant as set forth in claim 10, wherein the front right and left panels and the back right and left panels each have a rounded lower edge which forms a portion of a circle that has a radius of 0.3 to 2.5 inches.
 12. A stretch pant having an interior and an exterior and comprising a torso portion joined by a front rise seam and a back rise seam on the right side to a right leg portion having an inseam and on the left side to a left leg portion having an inseam and forming a crotch member at the intersection of the back rise seam, the front rise seam and the right inseam and the left inseam, and the pant including a durability assembly on the interior of the pant which comprises a right front panel of a stretch fusible material and a right back panel of a stretch fusible material and a left front panel of a stretch fusible material and a right back panel of a stretch fusible material wherein the right front panel and the right back panel are fused to the interior of the right leg portion and sewn into the right inseam and the left front panel and the left back panel are fused to the interior of the left leg portion and sewn into the left inseam.
 13. A stretch pant as set forth in claim 12, wherein the right front panel and the left front panel are sewn into the front rise seam and the right back panel and the left back panel are sewn into the back rise seam.
 14. A stretch pant as set forth in claim 12, wherein the right front panel and the right back panel and the left front panel and the left back panel comprise a non-woven fusible material.
 15. A stretch pant as set forth in claim 12, wherein the assembly has an outline with an edge and further comprises an adhesive tape along the edge between the stretch denim and the fusible assembly.
 16. A stretch pant as set forth in claim 12, wherein the front right panel and the right rear panel each have roughly triangular outline and which together form a blade shape that extends lengthwise in a fairly straight side along the right inner thigh portion parallel to the inseam and which curves to a rounded edge where the right panels terminates at the inseam, and the front left panel and the left rear panel each have roughly triangular outline and which together form a blade shape that extends lengthwise in a fairly straight side along the left inner thigh portion parallel to the inseam and which curves to a rounded edge where the left panels terminates at the inseam.
 17. A stretch pant as set forth in claim 16, wherein each of the right front panel and the left front panel curve upward in the shape of the front rise and the back right and the back left panel each has a top edge is straight and an inside edge which is also straight and perpendicular to the top edge.
 18. A stretch pant as set forth in claim 17, wherein each of the front right panel, the front left panel, the back right panel and the back left panel has a length and a width and the length is 2 to 5 times as long as the width and each of the front right panel and the front left panel has a width that extends 1/20 to ⅛ of the length of the front rise seam, the center rise seam, and back rise seam added together.
 19. A stretch denim pant as set forth in claim 18, wherein the front right and left panels and the back right and left panels each have a rounded lower edge which forms a portion of a circle that has a radius of 0.3 to 2.5 inches. 